Sunday, 26 February 2012

As expected this week has been super busy, but after a trade show, that's what you want. It has meant that my crafting time has been extremely limited. The Make It Monday challenge over at Papertrey Ink this week was glittering buttons. So as I was so short of time I wondered if Spray & Sparkle Iridescent Glitter Spray would work and it did like a dream. No real mess either, perfect! So with all those glittery buttons about I made a set of 6 cute cards. I was also inspired by challenges at:

Having worked 13 days without a day off I decided it was time for an evening of dancing last night. I had the most wonderful time at Easington Welfare - they have the most gorgeous dance floor. I had loads of great dances and it's so nice to stay out late but then have no hangover on a Sunday, just sore ankles!!

I gave my beautiful new red shoes their first run out last night and not only do they look gorgeous they feel fabulous too.

So if a girl is going out in a black dress and beautiful shoes surely she needs a pretty flower to match. Seeing as I didn't have one I managed to rustle one up quick smart. It's even sewn together, so for that reason I'm entering it into the challenge at A Passion for Papertrey - needle & thread

So I guess that was the weekend. As I worked Saturday I've still managed to fit a lot in but could still do with some extra hours in the day.

Friday, 17 February 2012

I have to be up early but well OK it shouldn't be quite this early! But I think I'm so excited about going to Birmingham to the Craft Hobby & Stitch International Show I just can't sleep. So if I can't sleep that means I can craft!! So here's a couple of early morning cards. The hardest part was photographing them in the dark. This first one was inspired by challenges at:

And one more for good luck :-) My butterfly stamping obsession continues. I'm still loving masking the butterflies, the make such cute and simple cards. This card was inspired by challenges at:Papercraft Star - ButterfliesC.R.A.F.T. challenge - no designer papers

So I'd better tidy my desk and then go and pack those last minute bits. I'll be so busy over the next week I probably won't get time to blog but I'll tell you all about the show and maybe even a few sneek peaks as soon as I can. What I can tell you is that we're previewing some very exciting new products, some that have been flown in especially for the show!!

Monday, 13 February 2012

I've been on one of my little whirlwind tours and as usual had a great time. So Derby, Reading, Stokesley, the office and tonight I've made it back home. I had a great weekend dancing. As always Jean and the All Jazzed Up crew run a fabulous weekend with the best teachers, Mickey and Kelly were totally amazing. I have so much to work on with my dancing I'm going out to practise tonight - thanks Les.

So just a quick card from me tonight, yet again inspired by the celebrations over at Papertrey Ink, where it's all about butterflies today. Seeing as I seem to be putting a butterfly on every card at the moment, this challenge was right up my street. I was also inspired by challenges at:

Just a couple more things that have made me smile. I've one a prize over at A Passion for Papertrey and it's a stamp set I don't have! Also I got a mention from Papertrey Ink on the card I made for last weeks Make it Monday.

Let's hope that the next 2 weeks are equally as good, especially as I've got my big trade show, down in Birmingham. So if I'm a little quiet on my blog please bear with me, I'll be back soon.

Friday, 10 February 2012

Carrying on with the 5th anniversary festivities over at Papertrey Ink, today was all about Pinterest. I've been trying to avoid it, on the grounds I know I'll get completely sucked in and lose hours just looking at pretty things. So today I've been inspired by the image Erin Lincoln pinned and gone all pink and red. These little beauties took longer than they look but it was still fun.

Thursday, 9 February 2012

Just a couple of butterfly cards to share with you today. I decided I fancied a little bit of masking and then a little bit turned into a lot on the butterfly frame card!! The colours were inspired by the todays anniversary challenge over at Papertrey Ink, the colours I picked were those from Dawn McVey, raspberry fizz, rip avocado and berry sorbet. I'd normally struggle to put those pinks together but with inspiration from Dawn, I got there.

I also used this weeks Make it Monday technique again to make the 2 toned double sided butterfly.

So once I got going I couldn't stop, hence card number 2!! This was also inspired by the challenges at:

CASE study - #77 for me it was the butterfly and the linked circles that got me thinking and ending up with the strip of butterflies.Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes

Supplies used (all PTI)

Card - ripe avocado, stampers select white

Ink - raspberry fizz, rip avocado and berry sorbet

Stamps - butterfly dreams, happy trails, little labels

Dies - butterfly, happy trails

Sentiment on card 2 - colour couture from Dawn McVey

I had a fabulous time at the Strictly Come Dancing Tour on Tuesday night. Harry (Judd) and Aliona were out of this world, but Chelsee and Pasha and Jason and Kristina also danced beautifully. As for Nancy - the less said the better!! As for the judges, they were hilarious and it was great to see them on the dance floor too.

Tuesday, 7 February 2012

I know I said I wasn't going to post today but I had a lot running through my mind so to help me relax I decided to have a go at Make It Monday over at Papertrey Ink. The technique this week was stamping on the both sides of die cuts. I used the butterfly from Love Lives Here. I was just going to layer 2 together so you could see the underwings but it looked a little flat, so the butterfly ended up being four double stamped butterflies. Two are folded in half and sandwiched between two flat ones, it make a great 3D butterfly. Thanks to Erin for this technique.

Monday, 6 February 2012

The birthday celebrations are still in full swing over at Papertrey Ink and today Nichole share a free download of some digi images. So of course it would have been rude not to snaffle them, but better than that, I've actually used them!

As I was late in from work tonight (not long until the trade show now!) it's just a couple of little cuties tonight. In truth I couldn't decide which design to use, so I picked 3 of them!

So with the bosses back from the states it's all systems go and busy, busy, busy, although I did take 5 minutes today to catch up with the lovely Louise Welsh when she popped into the office to drop off some samples.

No crafting for me tomorrow, but don't feel too bad for me, I'm off to see Strictly Come Dancing the Live Tour up at Newcastle. I just hope it's as fabulous as last time.

Today is the start of the celebrations over at Papertrey Ink for their 5th anniversary.

The design team shared lots about themselves today and it was great to read their stories. Their work constantly inspires me and their blogs are definitely on my go to places especially when I need a creative nudge in the right direction. So a massive thank you from me to each of the design team and everybody behind the scenes at PTI. Papertrey will always hold a special place in my heart as is led me to one of my best friends (J xx). So today Nichole set the challenge to choose one of the projects highlighted by the girls and to draw from it. For me it had to be Jessica Witty's beautiful card, with so much white space. I've looked at this card several times but never been brave enough to go there. But today I have embraced all that white space!

I also tried it with cutting the quatrefoil die rather than embossing it

Sunday, 5 February 2012

Don't you just love making something for nothing. This pretty little flower vase is actually an old coffee jar decorated with adhesive vinyl cut on my eCraft machine. I've had a quick play with vinyl on the eCraft before but only to see if it worked. Today I actually had a project in mind. When I pop to Tesco I always have a quick look to see if the flowers are reduced and yesterday there was a bunch for 75 pence reduced from £5.00, at which point I decided I was worth it!! So my little vase has daffodils in it so I needed another small vase, so coffee jar to the rescue, once it had been tarted up a little.This project was inspired by challenges at:Cupcake Craft Challenges - recycleCreative Inspirations - make a tagColour create - light & dark brown with white or creamAllsorts challenge blog - Free & easyABC challenge blog - I is for in Pairs (& not Paris as I first read!!) - my pairs are the heart, the scalloped heart and the flourish shape

Saturday, 4 February 2012

With the talk of my sister's wedding later this year and Valentine's gifts lining the shops I couldn't resist making a heart card today. Having watched the Make It Monday video from Nichole, I had banners in my head and couldn't separate them from an old fashioned tattoo image of a heart with a banner wrapped round it, so here's what I came up with. I was also inspired by challenges at:

The funny think is that I have no one to send this card to!! But it's so pretty I'll just pop it on the window sill to look at!!

We have lots of snow here and at the moment it's not stopping!! House hunting tomorrow might have to go on hold. Ahhh, the joys of living in the North East. So I'm off to snuggle up on the sofa with my fluffy slippers and watch some Saturday night TV. These slippers make me smile every time I put them on!!

Oooooh - as it's Saturday it's also the day for Music Saves my Soul Saturday, over at Marcea's blog. So here's my choice for this week, the very fabulous Nerina Pallot with her new single, All Bets Are Off. I get laughed at for listening to radio 2 but it does open my ears to lots of new music, as well as the old stuff!!

Friday, 3 February 2012

The lovely girlies over at A Passion for Papertrey have had me scratching my head since they launched their latest challenge. Why making a card on a favourite book should be so tough I don't really know, but to be true to myself I can't just pick any book it has to be one that I really do love. So eventually I settled on A Vintage Affair, by Isabel Wolff. So here's the card I came up with. I was also inspired by challenges at:

So as if this week couldn't get any better, look what turned up in the post today. A pair of gorgeous navy hand warmers lovingly knitted by the very talented Linda Hill. Not only can she colour and paint to the most amazing standards, she knits too. Thank you so much Linda, they couldn't have turned up at a better time, as it's a little chilly up here today.

I was also the lucky random winner over at Inspiration Card Sketches #148. I'm a bit scared of next week as after a week that's been so good, it can only go downhill!!

So what does the weekend bring for you, for me it's more house hunting, a little bit of work and hopefully some time to craft. Have a great weekend.

Thursday, 2 February 2012

Last night the ballet was amazing. For me it's a total sensory overload, the music, the costumes, the dancing, I just love it. I love the orchestra all tuning up and then setting the scene. I always feel a little sorry for the orchestra as once the dancing begins I forget there's all those people in the orchestra pit making the music. Scottish Ballet put a contemporary feel to a traditional ballet and it was clever, funny, beautiful and just left my heart dancing.

I love the 1940's feel of these costumes - so beautiful and pointe shoes to match

Wednesday, 1 February 2012

What a fabulous week. I received the most gorgeous gift in the post from my fabulous friend Archi, she's told me she was sending a little something. Little!! It's huge and a totally perfect gift. It's a beautifully decorated box filled with 8 individually wrapped Green & Blacks chocolate bars, each with it's own little gift tag. If you could pack love in a parcel it would look just this. Thank you Archi, you have made my day.

Don't they look like beautiful books when they're stacked like this.

So of course I had to make some cupcakes!! This is the last one as they were demolished in the office!

Just a quick crafting post from me today as I'm off to the ballet to see The Sleeping Beauty by Scottish Ballet in Newcastle and even better the lovely Louisa is coming with me. I told you I was having a good week.

So an eCraft plus some files from SVGcuts is just a dream recipe for making boxes. Especially as these files were a freebie back in December (thank you Mary & Leo). These boxes are made in one cut, so basically they take minutes to make. The texture on the card comes from using Core Impressions that is already pre-embossed.

Stat counter

About Me

This is just a place where I share my Ginger adventures and a little bit of my creativity. I love paper, glue and rubberstamps and I'm a card designer, demonstrator, feature writer, scrapbooker, mini-book maker and papercraft enthusiast, plus I have a fantastic full time job! I also love food, 1940's swing dancing and of course my lovely family and my fabulous friends.